Cold Steel, Warm Heart
by Kat Lee formerly Pirate Turner
Summary: Smee has lost his marbles; James offers solace. Slash.


Title: "Cold Steel, Warm Heart"  
Author: Pirate Turner  
Rating: R for violence  
Summary: Smee has lost his marbles; James offers solace.  
Warnings: Slash  
Disclaimer: Captain James Hook, Smee, Peter Pan, and Neverland are & TM Disney and J.M. Barrie, not the author, and are used without permission. Everything else is & TM the author. The author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended.

He had lost it. He muttered to himself as he crawled over the deck on his hands and knees, searching in every nook and cranny. A booted foot stepped directly into his pathway, halting his search. He started to go around, but the other foot stopped him there. "Smee, get up." His Captain's voice was not angry but rather extraordinarily gentle, for him, and laced with concern and caring, all emotions Smee's normal self would have recognized immediately as only ever being used for him.

"But, Capt'n -- James, I've lost them!"

"I have them," he assured him gently. "I have everything that you need, and it's all yours if you'll just get up."

With James' help, Smee got off of his knees and stood up. James pressed a gentle, loving kiss to his forehead and placed a worn leather pouch into his trembling hand. "There, love." He took a moment to push his slipping glasses back up on to the bridge of his nose. "Now go back to bed."

James watched as Smee took his marbles and waddled back off to bed and shook his head silently. He unclenched his fist and raised his hook in a silent warning. Damn that boi! He'd bothered them all to the point that his Smee was beginning to lose it in his sleep now. One day, he swore, one day he'd gut him like the codfish the pesky brat continuously called him. One day, he'd laugh joyously while he spilled his blood for that would mark the day that their sanity would return and he'd no longer have to fear for Smee losing it when he was awake.

A snicker cut through the night, and James' gaze dropped to his silver hook. He watched the figure approach in its reflection. "Ha! Fat, old fart -- "

Hook let the Pirate get no further in his condemnation of his beloved. In a flash of red and black, he whirled and fired. The Pirate fell to the deck with smoke drifting from the hole where his heart no longer beat.

Captain Hook's gaze rose to encompass the rest of his ship. He could feel his crew. All their eyes were upon him. The one had tried him, but he'd only been the first to do so. Every single one of them blamed him for the predicament they were in, and none of them understood his feelings, which was why he normally kept them hidden.

It didn't matter a damn if they understood or not, James reflected, his dark eyes flashing with silent fury. He was the Captain, and they'd do as he said or walk the plank! "Toss him overboard to the croc unless," he questioned, raising his hook menacingly into the air, "another of you would like to join him?"

Their negative replies filled the late night air as they hurried to do as instructed. "One more thing," Hook growled. "If I ever hear any of you say anything to or about Smee again, you'll join him. You'll do well to remember that he is mine and if you do him wrong, you do me wrong." His gaze cast at each of the shaking Pirates in turn, piercing every one of them like cold steel. "You know what happens to those who wrong me."

James walked off, leaving his threat to hang over their cowardly heads. He stepped into complete darkness as he entered his cabin, but the darkness was his friend. He could hide in it, hide and plot, hide and think, hide and do whatever the Hell he pleased. He took off his hook and placed it in its chest. He shrugged out of his clothes and left them, minus his belt, on the single chair in the room. He draped his belt over a bedknob and checked his pillow to make certain his faithful dagger was still there. Then, at last, he slipped into bed.

James wrapped his long arms tenderly around Smee's trembling form. He kissed his round cheek and whispered, "Don't worry, love. I'll protect you from them all." It was only then, with James' arms holding him tight, that Smee fell into an untroubled sleep and ceased his trembles. Hook's eyes stared into the night as he continued to plot their freedom.

**The End**


End file.
